Indica benefits on sleep

Indica benefits on sleep

Cannabis (or marijuana) has been creating a lot of “buzz” lately. With its medicinal uses becoming popular, people are using it more than ever! Like many other benefits, marijuana is known for benefitting sleep. However, there’s something here that needs to be cleared up. Cannabis has many strains but most beneficial are cannabis indica and cannabis sativa. The former has high amount of tetrahydrocannabidol (THC), while the latter has high amounts of cannabidiol (CBD). For better sleep, you need cannabis indica because THC has a soothing effect on your mind. It’s also involved in regulating your sleep cycle.

How does it affect your sleep patterns?

Your brain has endocanninoid compounds produced in it naturally. These biological substances have their respective receptors in your brain where they attach and initiate an effect. They are involved in regulating your sleep patterns. [i]Research shows that by manipulating these receptors artificially, your sleep-wake cycle can be altered. Cannabis indica has biologically active compounds called cannabinoids. These compounds mimic the action of naturally occurring endocannabinoids in the brain by attaching on the same receptors. And that’s how they get to impact your sleep!

A detailed account of various positive impacts of cannabis indica on sleep is given below:

It fastens the onset of sleep

Ever lied for hours and waited for sleep to dawn on you? It’s utterly frustrating! Insomniacs have really hard time falling asleep but indica can help! It aids in speeding up the onset of sleep in both insomniacs and healthy people. It is due to the high amount of THC present in indica. [ii]Research has also proven the effectiveness of indica in speeding up the sleep onset. So, if you smoke weed right before going to bed, sleep will come easy!

Beware! Don’t take too much of it. High amounts of THC can produce a hangover effect on waking up. You might feel headache or fatigue the next morning. This proves cannabis is a complex drug and you need to use it intelligently. In small quantities, it lulls your brain into sleep but in large doses it can be damaging.

It increases the duration of sleep

With cannabis indica, sleep not only comes easy and quick but also stays for a longer while. It also reduces awakenings in early phases of night. Early phase constitutes the first stage of sleep in which a person can wake up easily on arousal. However, cannabis indica ensures lesser awakenings and improves the quality of sleep.

It prolongs the deep sleep phase

This constitutes the 3rd phase of sleep cycle. This phase is when brain does all the work! Sleep waves are slow and blood flow is directed towards muscles (away for brain) to restore energy levels. So, the longer the phase of deep sleep, the better quality of sleep you’ll recieve because you feel energized and well-rested on waking up. THC present in cannabis indica enhances the duration of deep sleep. So, your sleep quality improves and you wake up fresh with your energy levels restored!

It shortens REM sleep duration

REM sleep is the phase of sleep cycle in which you dream! Dreaming means your brain is stimulated and awake. So, lesser the amount of REM sleep, higher is your sleep quality. Cannabis indica is known to decrease the duration of REM sleep. With deep sleep prolonged and REM sleep decreased, cannabis acts as a perfect recipe for a quality sleep.

It alleviates sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is the difficulty in breathing during sleep for a number of reasons. Cannabis indica has shown promising results in its alleviation. [iii]Research shows that THC reduces breathing difficulty during sleep and stabilizes autonomic output. So, if you have sleep apnea, cannabis indica is the answer for you!

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“Cannabis has many strains but most beneficial are cannabis indica and cannabis sativa. The former has high amount of tetrahydrocannabidol (THC), while the latter has high amounts of cannabidiol (CBD).”
Shouldn’t that be the other way around? Indicas usually have higher CBD than Sativas (but not always)